Reading Money to Burn finally gave the true crime vibes I’ve been waiting for. It was one of the novels that actually got me interested from the start, as readers, we were thrown into the action and introduced to criminals planning a robbery.
I loved the variety of characters and perspectives presented through the different commentaries, reports, and testimonies. The narrative moving between perspectives creates this unstable feeling. I found myself, as a reader, often putting together parts from different perspectives, similar to how crime stories are understood by reports, witnesses, and others. Due to this structure, reading this felt more like a true crime report than a true crime story with storytelling elements. I think it is mainly strengthened by the fact that the novel being based on a real event.
Another thing I found interesting was the representation of the relationship with money. I feel that money is such a sensitive yet powerful topic for many in society, as seen in the quote:
“Money is just the same as drugs: what’s fundamental is its possession, knowing it’s there, touching it, checking it’s still in the cupboard,”
This comparison between money and drugs truly encapsulates how money becomes addictive, where logic isn’t used. Those addicted to money, like criminals, are not only into what money can do for them but also the feeling they get from holding that possession. Having and feeling its presence represents security, power, and validation for them. This leads me to the irony of burning the money. It made me think about how the act seems like something a rebel would do out of the power it gives them, that destroying the money was the better, perhaps correct choice for them, instead of handing it over to the police?
Similar to other crime stories, this has a tone that gives this sense of inevitability. You as a reader just have this sense that things are not going to end well. There’s tension just knowing that the characters are going to end up in a situation like this (the siege) before the robbery happens. I feel like this tone just added so much intensity to the story.
All in all, I think the novel gives us such interesting ways to think about crime, power, and money, making me also think about how stories can have blurred lines between fact and storytelling. As mentioned in the lecture video, the story has gone through many changes and resembles the relationships between fiction and reality, especially how the fictional part of it helps us see what’s real or not. Thinking about this, why do you think people are compelled to crime stories like these, especially if they’re portrayed as true, like this one? What makes these true crime stories so captivating?
6 replies on “oh the power money holds over us humans”
“Similar to other crime stories, this has a tone that gives this sense of inevitability.” Yes, that’s an interesting aspect. We know even before opening the first page that the money will be burned. Or that it might be a metaphorical way of saying it… but it’s actually the fact that “anchors” the story, not even the robbery itself. Therefore, to keep us hooked, the author must find other strategies.
Hi, Tripti!
To answer your question, I think true crime is so engaging in part because it gives the audience a thrilling experience in which they get to make a judgement of their own. While laws can dictate what is legally acceptable and what is punishable, individuals in a society can place their own emphasis on right vs wrong. Some violations of the law are perceived as worse than others, and this depends on the audience’s values. If the audience in “Money to Burn” sees money as a valuable possession, they may be more inclined to feel enraged when it is burned. But, if you see money as just a piece of paper, this event may make you feel indifferent, or possibly even triumphant (if you’re rooting for the gunmen to be victorious).
Hi! I also enjoyed being thrown right into the middle of the story, it was easier to get invested in the story from the beginning. I like what you mentioned about putting together the different perspectives, in some ways it made me feel like more of a part of the story trying to determine what actually might have happened. To answer your question, I think people could be pulled in to crime stories because it allows them to experience high-risk situations vicariously and “live through” an adrenaline-inducing experience without any of the real dangers.
I also felt drawn in despite the confusion of the different perspectives and characters. Though I will say, I hadn’t thought about it that way, about the confusion potentially being intentional and in reference to the way he had to collect the information regarding the actual events. That doesn’t make it any easier to read though…
Hi Tripti,
I agree that the multiple perspectives made the story more interesting because it felt like I was piecing everything together myself instead of just being told what happened. At times it was a bit confusing, but I think that actually made it more realistic and made it feel more like a real crime case which I thought was cool.
Hii!! I had trouble putting my finger on what the constant perspective changes felt like when I was trying to write about it, and you describing them as creating instability is exactly what I think I was trying to say. The best idea I can compare the instability to is the solar system. Hear me out here, every perspective we see is orbiting around the same events of the bank robbery and its aftermath, so that would be our sun. Then, each new perspective is one of the orbiting planets, since they all provide different details and experiences, kind of like how every planet in our solar system is unique. The unstable feeling comes from switching from the gravity of one planet to another, from switching from one person’s views to another’s.
That aside, I really liked how you connected money and drugs here. I find your points super interesting!!
Great post, and thank you for accidentally helping me figure out what I was trying to say the other day lol :))